Family Time: Tips for keeping children safe on the roads

Tuesday

Nov 6, 2012 at 12:01 AMNov 13, 2012 at 5:37 PM

Weekly family rail, with tips for pedestrians, a review of "Wreck-It Ralph" and more.

Tip of the Week

When it comes to keeping young walkers safe on America's roads, the country has made great strides: child pedestrian deaths have plunged 53 percent and injuries are down 44 percent since 1995, according to a study by Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx. Still, the study also indicates that bigger steps are needed to improve pedestrian safety overall, and particularly for teenagers.

Daily, more than 61 children seek medical attention for injuries sustained while walking, and more than 500 children die every year in pedestrian accidents. Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 are now the most at-risk age group, accounting for 50 percent of child pedestrian injuries in the past five years. The death rate among teens is now twice that of younger children.

"The study, ‘Walking Safely: A Report to the Nation,’ tells us two things," says Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. "While our focus on younger kids, through programs such as 'Walk this Way,' has made a tremendous difference, we need to turn the spotlight - and our collective efforts - on this disturbing trend impacting our teenagers."

- Whenever possible, cross the street at the corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Most walking injuries happen mid-block or someplace other than at intersections.

- Look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Keep looking and listening while crossing.

- Walk, don't run, when crossing the street.

- Walking on sidewalks or paths is always best, but if not available, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.

- Remove headphones when crossing the street. It's important to minimize distractions and listen to what's going on around you.

- If you need to use your phone, stop walking.

- Drivers are more distracted than ever, so try to make eye contact with drivers before you step into the road.

- Brandpoint

Family Movie Night

"Wreck-It Ralph"

Rated: PG

Length: 108 minutes

Review: "Wreck-It Ralph" could easily be called "Video Game Story." Why? In Pixar’s "Toy Story," toys come to life when humans aren’t around. In Walt Disney’s "Wreck-It Ralph," video game characters come to life when humans aren’t around. Here, Disney tries its best to capture the Pixar magic, and while "Ralph" is no "Toy Story," it doesn’t scrimp on the entertainment value. It’s like a really good hamburger. Very satisfying, yet Pixar is still filet mignon. – Bob Tremblay, GHNS

Book Report

"On a Dark Wing," by Jordan Dane

Ages: 14

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Five years ago, Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her "lucky" break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death — by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky — she would never be normal again. Now she's the target of Death's ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden — Abbey's secret crush — starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death stalks him because of her. And Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets. - Harlequin

Did You Know

A study published in the journal Addiction says that kids who smoke menthol cigarettes are more likely to become addicted to smoking than those who smoke regular cigarettes.